The present invention relates in general to the production of fibers from molten materials, such as molten glass, by rotating a spinner to centrifuge the fibers from the molten material and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for reinforcing such a fiber producing spinner.
It is a common practice in industry to produce fibers of a variety of materials including polymers, glass and minerals such as rock, slag and basalt by injecting molten material into a rotating centrifuge referred to as a spinner. The molten material then emerges through orifices in an outer sidewall of the spinner as fibers of the material.
The spinners are made of alloys which exhibit high temperature strength, creep resistance, oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance to the material being fiberized. Unfortunately, spinners made of even the best currently available alloys have a limited lifetime due to corrosion and deformation of the spinners.
Accordingly, there is a need to extend the lifetime of spinners to thereby reduce costs of manufacturing such fibers by reducing spinner replacement frequency as well as down time and labor required for replacing spinners which can no longer produce acceptable fibers.